Creagination

Deviant Art Muro

2010-09-17T01:28:00.000-05:00

A friend introduced me to Deviant Art Muro today. "Wow" is the best word that I cant think of to describe it. Here's something that I made in a matter of seconds.

So go and check it out!

The Spam Blog

2010-08-24T22:47:00.002-05:00

Just for kicks I recently created a new website where I post all the email spam that I receive in my Google and Yahoo email inboxes. Check it out at the Spam Blog.

Steampunk Explanation

2010-03-30T01:19:00.002-05:00

A good explanation of what Steampunk is. This clip features a display in Oxford.

Durian

2010-03-02T00:46:00.001-06:00

If you haven't hear of the Blender Durian project then it's about time that you did. Blender is an awesome. Blender is an awesome way for the Open-Source community to get hands-on experience animating quality films.

Head on over to the Durian page to learn more.

Pencil Art... Wow

2010-01-20T07:23:00.001-06:00

For those of you with anything remotely similar to a creative brain, here's some food for thought. Or should I say "pencils"? Whatever the correct terminology, feast your eyes upon the outrageous art below.

Amazing, no? I would call this writing power to the extreme.

Like I said, amazing pencils. :)

B-boy Cico

2009-12-03T23:32:00.000-06:00

Forever Music Video

2009-11-13T12:26:00.002-06:00

"Forever" tells the poignant story of a girl's childhood memories as she yearns for ...moreher father's love. Watch it below.

Is it Alive?

2009-10-17T19:47:00.000-05:00

Whoa, just stare at this image and tell me if it's moving or something...

Sequence Made for TV Show Klaas Vaak | BlenderNation

2009-10-11T01:47:00.000-05:00

Cute Kids and Cats

2009-09-20T23:46:00.000-05:00

Johnny's Mother looked out the window and noticed him "playing church" with their cat .

He had the cat sitting quietly and he was preaching to it. She smiled and went about her work. A while later she heard loud meowing and hissing and ran back To the open window to see Johnny baptizing the cat in a tub of water.

She called out, "Johnny, stop that! The cat is afraid of water!"

Johnny looked up at her and said, "He should have thought about that before he joined my church."

Smile, it gives your face something to do!

Treehouses - An Extreme

2009-09-07T19:16:00.001-05:00

Some pretty awesome tree houses if I do say so myself.

Remake: Dollar Bill

2009-08-25T10:10:00.002-05:00

Hmm... looks like the American Dollar bill has a had a slight make-over.

Must be the economy.

;D

Where Do Old Phone Cords Go?

2009-08-15T12:14:00.004-05:00

So, this is what happens to old phone cords... I never imagined that sheep were involved.

Animal Funnies

2009-08-10T11:38:00.000-05:00

Some funny and/or cute animal pictures (whether Photoshopped or not)

JellyTelly

2009-08-06T10:15:00.004-05:00

"Hymns That Never Made the Hymnal"... from Jelly Telly...

An "Amazing Grace" parody.

Maker Faire San Mateo 2009

2009-07-15T11:23:00.001-05:00

A short collage of the Maker Faire San Mateo 2009 experience.

Chalk Art Extraordinaire

2009-06-11T01:49:00.002-05:00

Some pretty cool chalk art, enjoy....

Project Natal

2009-06-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

Bury the Wii and make room for Natal; it looks like Microsoft might finally have a winner here to compete with Nintendo. Project Natal promises to be a full-body-action gaming addition to the Xbox 360 that will revolutionize our gaming experience forever.

Read more here.

Evony: A Fresh Take

2009-05-28T03:15:00.007-05:00

Now this might interest some... Evony. Previously known as Civony, apparently this RTS is truly a "Real Time Strategy" game... for real. You actually wake up in the morning, set your build queue and then go to work at the office while your alliance plays for you. When you get home you simply check on the progress of your city.

Crazy.

I'll admit that the screenshot above seems slightly reminiscent of Age of Empires 2 or of Caeser 3. Oh well, nothing is ever completely new under the sun, so no big deal. But... drum roll please... Evony is FREE.

That's like... wow. Free. I mean... wow.

Google Chrome

2009-05-18T16:32:00.002-05:00

Flickr: God's Child

2009-05-15T00:59:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of h.koppdelaney's FlickR photostream.

Flickr: Magic Apples

2009-05-15T00:51:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of h.koppdelaney's FlickR photostream.

Evolution of Simple

2009-05-11T16:30:00.000-05:00

Fire and Ice Volcano

2009-04-20T15:27:00.001-05:00

From the creative mind of James Gurney, the "Fire and Ice Volcano".

"Mnemonic" for pi

2009-04-15T18:57:00.000-05:00

From my inbox

Have you heard of this before? These ascending digits arranged into this particular formula yield the right value of pi out to six decimal places!

pi = (12.3 + 4 + 5) / 6.78

YouTube - What's Happening

2009-04-15T15:39:00.000-05:00

EU Suggested Changes to English

2009-04-13T03:28:00.000-05:00

The following is another email that I received in my inbox:

European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy.

The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

If zis mad you smil, pleas pas it on to oza pepl

YouTube - Bunny Animation

2009-04-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

YouTube - Bunny Animation

Ever Wonder?

2009-04-08T03:20:00.001-05:00

The below came questions and observations came from my inbox:

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?
Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?
Why you don't ever see the headline: 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?
Why 'abbreviated' is such a long word?
Why Doctors call what they do 'practice'?
Why you have to click on 'Start' to stop Windows 98? (Who uses Windows 98 anyway?)
Why lemon juice is made with artificial flavour, while dish washing liquid is made with real lemons?
Why the man who invests all your money is called a 'Broker'?
Why there isn't mouse flavoured cat food?
Who tastes dog food when it has a 'new & improved' flavour?
Why Noah didn't swat those two mosquitoes?
Why they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
Why they don't make the whole plane out of the material used for the indestructible black box?
Why sheep don't shrink when it rains?
Why they are called apartments when they are all stuck together?
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
Why they call the airport 'the terminal' if flying is so safe?

AND...

In case you need further proof that the human race is doomed because of stupidity, here are some actual label instructions on consumer goods:

On a Morphy Richards hairdryer: 'Do not use while sleeping'. (Rats, that's the only time I have to work on my hair).

On a bag of Chips: You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside. (The shoplifter special?)

On bar of Palmolive soap: 'Directions: Use like regular soap'. (And that would be how???)

On some frozen dinners: 'Serving suggestion: Defrost'. (But, it's just a suggestion).

On Waitrose Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom): 'Do not turn upside down'. (Well... duh, a bit late, huh)!

On a Marks & Spenc er Bread Pudding: 'Product will be hot after heating'. (And you thought????...)

On packaging for an Argos iron: 'Do not iron clothes on body'. (But wouldn't this save me more time?)

On Boot's Children Cough Medicine: 'Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication'. (We could do a lot to reduce the rate of construction accidents if we could just get those 5 year olds with head colds off those forklifts.)

On Nytol Sleep Aid: 'Warning: May cause drowsiness'. (And...I'm taking this because???)

On most brands of Christmas lights: 'For indoor or outdoor use only'. (As opposed to...what?)

On a Japanese food processor: 'Not to be used for the other use'... (Now, somebody out there, help me on this, I'm a bit curious.)

On KP's peanuts: 'Warning: contains nuts'. (Talk about a news flash!)

On an a BA packet of nuts: 'Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts'. (Step 3: maybe, uh...fly Virgin?)

I don't blame the company, I blame the parents for this one: On a child's superman costume: 'Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly'.

Steampunk Nemean Lion - Blender Artists Forums

2009-02-21T17:03:00.001-06:00

Steampunk Nemean Lion - Blender Artists Forums

Google Chrome Video

2009-02-08T02:32:00.000-06:00

A short Google Chrome flick put together by the Japanese Google team, pong-style

Aeolus Airship

2009-02-07T23:32:00.003-06:00

From Gizmodo:

This oddball vertical airship is designed to stay in the air for a whopping two weeks without landing. It's powered by a crew of 2-4 people pedaling, presumably in an ironic nod to The Flintstones.

The helium airship, named for the Greek god of the wind, is only in the concept stage for now. But it looks like something out of Dinotopia, and the goofy vertical design is surprisingly cool.

Pantograph Loop Animations

2009-02-05T00:51:00.002-06:00

Below are 6 looping animations done by Pantograph. Their website is only written in Japanese, but judging from the images and artwork exhibited on their site, these individuals certainly are Creaginators.

Google Contest - Doodles

2009-02-03T13:14:00.002-06:00

From the Google Blog

Today, we're announcing our second annual Doodle 4 Google contest in the U.S. Google doodles are the special "dressed-up" logos we run on our homepage for holidays and other events, and Doodle 4 Google is an opportunity for one child to have his/her artwork displayed on our homepage as a doodle for hundreds of millions of people to see. This year's theme is "What I Wish for the World," as we really want to tap into not only children's creativity but also what they want their future to look like.

We're very excited this year to be partnering with the Smithsonian's, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Since Cooper-Hewitt is focused on design and education and fostering the brightest design minds of tomorrow, they were a natural partner for Doodle 4 Google. Their partnership also means that this year's prizes not only include having your artwork on the Google homepage for a day, a college scholarship, and a technology grant for your school, but also having your work (and that of all 40 finalists) exhibited at a Smithsonian museum!

Most of this year's contest remains the same as last year's. (For inspiration, you can see Grace Moon's beautiful winning doodle "Up In the Clouds" in our Doodle Gallery). However, there are a few changes. First, we've increased the college scholarship prize for the national winner to $15,000. We've also added a $10,000 prize for the school district that submits the most high-quality entries. Finally, in partnership with Cooper-Hewitt, we'll be celebrating the 40 finalists and announcing the national winner in New York City, to coincide with the opening of the exhibit. Please visit the official competition website for a full listing of all contest rules and requirements.

Only students from registered schools can enter, so teachers, if you want to participate please register your school by March 17, 2009. All doodles must be submitted by March 31, 2009.

So, what do yall think? Is it worth a shot?

An Update From Google Project 10^100

2009-01-26T19:00:00.001-06:00

Official Google Blog: An update from the Project 10^100 team

If you've ever had an idea for Google, it's likely that others have as well. In September Google sent out a call world-wide for ideas that could help as many people around the globe as possible. They received 150,000 submissions.

JellyTelly

2009-01-26T04:50:00.002-06:00

JellyTelly launched their new site in the week. There's still a few bugs to be ironed out, but the new site has been fleshed out significantly more than the previous beta version.

As before, JellyTelly caters primarily to younger kids. But like Veggie Tales, all ages can get a kick out of it. Odds are that if you like talking vegetables, then a lot of things will entertain you.

But what's even cooler than the new site is... it's free. No sign up, no trial subscriptions, just... free.

JellyTelly is a brand new endeavor from the creative mind of Phil Vischer (see his blog), the co-founder of Big Idea and Veggie Tales.

Robosaurus

2009-01-24T23:16:00.002-06:00

Have you met Robosaurus? Visit the Robosaurus website, and while you're at it, take a look at their Wikipedia entry.

Robosaurus was the brainchild of Doug Malewicki in 1989 .

Creative Digital Gaming

2009-01-22T21:17:00.000-06:00

Creative thinking is making it's waty into the world of digital gaming. What was once considered the dominion of first-person-shooters, real-time-strategy, racing, or exploration has now opened itself up to a genre of games, the creator.

With the release of titles such as "Spore" and "LittleBigPlanet", industry professionals are proving that gamers can be more than just passive consumers, they can be artists in their own right.

As a gamer, and as an artist of sorts, a union of this nature has excited my imagination for the future of digital gaming.

Reuters recently ran an article delving into this new phenomenon.

Steve is Fading?

2009-01-17T21:50:00.005-06:00

Is Steve Jobs dying?

Will Apple die with him?

Yet there are moments in history, or institutions, that are so shaped by the extraordinary contributions of a single person that it is hard to imagine one without the other. So the indispensable-man debate was fueled anew last week when Steven P. Jobs said he was taking a leave of absence from Apple until July because his health problems were “more complicated” than he first thought.

London to Timbuktu in a Flying Car

2009-01-14T00:44:00.003-06:00

After spending 18 months designing and building his pet project, engineer Giles Cardozo is sending his creation on an unheard voyage.

The group, led by Neil Laughton, will make the 6,000km (3,600-mile) journey by land and air in the Parajet Skycar, effectively a dune buggy with a fan motor and paragliding wing attached.

After taking off from London, the expedition will travel through France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mali, and aims to reach Timbuktu on February 20.

The plan is to drive the Skycar where there are roads, and fly over the Straits of Gibraltar, the Atlas mountains in Morocco and the trackless wastes of the Empty Quarter of the Sahara.

Oh, and it runs on bio-fuel. Read more here.

Do You Want to Write?

2009-01-12T23:37:00.001-06:00

We want...

YOU

Do you have what it takes to be a writer for Creagination? Find out.
Email your article, with or without pictures to:

paulhastings0.creaginationATTblogger.com (replace ATT with @)

You may include any personal information that you wish including, but not limited to:
credentials, occupation, location, blog, and contact info.

Freedom Tower : Amazing Structures

2009-01-06T23:40:00.001-06:00

1 World Trade Center, or the Freedom Tower, is the centerpiece building of the new World Trade Center complex currently under construction in Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is being developed by Silverstein Properties. The $2 billion project will be located in the northwest corner of the 16-acre (65,000 m²) World Trade Center site, and will be 1,776 ft (541 m) tall. Construction on below-ground utility relocations, footings, and foundations for Freedom Tower began on April 27, 2006.

On December 19, 2006, the first steel columns were installed in the building's foundation. Three other high-rise office buildings plus a residential tower are planned for the site along Greenwich Street, and collectively they will surround the World Trade Center Memorial, which is currently under construction. The area will also be home to a museum, highlighting many of the different aspects of the past and future World Trade Centers.

Following the destruction of the World Trade Center towers in the September 11, 2001 attacks, there was much debate regarding the future of the World Trade Center site. Proposals began almost immediately, and by December 2002, a design by Daniel Libeskind was selected. This design went through many revisions, largely because of disagreements with developer Larry Silverstein, who held the lease to the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2001.

A final design for the tower was formally unveiled on June 28, 2006. To satisfy security issues raised by the New York City Police Department a 187-foot (57 m) concrete base was added in April of that year. The final design included plans to clad the base in glass prisms to address criticism that the base looked like a "concrete bunker."

The final design tapers the corners of the base outward as they rise. Its designers stated that the tower will be a "monolithic glass structure reflecting the sky and topped by a sculpted antenna." In terms of a completion date, Larry Silverstein stated "By 2012 we should have a completely rebuilt World Trade Center more magnificent, more spectacular than it ever was."

It is projected that steel for the building will be visible above ground in 2008, with a topping out in 2010. The building is projected to be ready for occupancy in the first quarter of 2011.

The Freedom Tower's program includes 2.6 million square feet (241,000 square meters) of office space, as well as an observation deck, world-class restaurants, parking, and broadcast and antennae facilities, all supported by both above and below-ground mechanical infrastructure for the building and its adjacent public spaces. Below-ground tenant parking and storage, shopping and access to the PATH and subway trains and the World Financial Center are also provided.

An 80-foot-high (24 m) public lobby topped by a series of mechanical floors form a 200-foot-high (61 m) building base. 69 tenant floors rise above the base to 1,120 feet (341 m) elevation. Mechanical floors, two floors to be occupied by the Metropolitan Television Alliance, restaurants and observation decks culminate in an observation deck and glass parapet that mark 1,362 feet (415 m) and 1,368 feet (417 m) respectively — the heights of the original Twin Towers. Currently, only the Sears Tower and Taipei 101 have occupied floors higher than Freedom Tower. A shrouded antenna structure supported by cables rises to a final height of 1,776 feet (541 m).

The tower rises from a cubic base whose square plan—200 feet by 200 feet—(61 m by 61 m) is almost as wide as the 208 foot (63 m) Twin Towers. The base is clad in more than 2,000 pieces of prismatic glass; each measures 4 feet by 13 feet 4 inches (1.21 m by 4.06 m) with varying depths. It has been designed to draw upon the themes of motion and light; a shimmering glass surface drapes the tower's base and imparts a dynamic fluidity of form whose appearance will reflect its surroundings. Just as the rest of the building, the base will serve as a glowing beacon. Cable-net facades on all four sides of the buildings, measure 60 feet (18 m) high and range in width from 30 feet (9 m) on the east and west sides (for access to the restaurant and observation deck, respectively) to 50 feet (15 m) on the north side and 70 feet (21 m) on the south for primary tenant access, activate the building at street level.

As the tower itself rises from this cubic base, its square edges are chamfered back, transforming the square into eight tall isosceles triangles in elevation, or an elongated square antiprism. At its middle, the tower forms a perfect octagon in plan and then culminates in a glass parapet (elevation 1,362 feet (415 m) and 1,368 feet (417 m)) whose plan is a square, rotated 45 degrees from the base. A mast containing an antenna for television broadcasters—designed by a collaboration between SOM, artist Kenneth Snelson (who invented the tensegrity structure), lighting designers and engineers—and secured by a system of cables, rises from a circular support ring, similar to the Statue of Liberty's torch, to a height of 1,776 feet (541 m).

The spire will be an intense beam of light that will be lit at night and will likely be visible over a thousand feet (305 m) into the air above the tower. New York City is a suitable place to set such a light pointing towards the sky without complaints of light pollution by astronomers, as the night sky in locations near New York City is already far too bright for serious astronomical observers.

Other new safety features will include 3-foot (90 cm) thick walls for all stairwells, elevator shafts, risers, and sprinkler systems; extremely wide "emergency stairs"; a dedicated set of stairwells exclusively for the use of firefighters; and biological and chemical filters throughout its ventilation system.

The building will no longer be 25 feet (7.6 m) away from West Street—with the redesign and smaller base (the same width and length now as each of the previous towers), Freedom Tower will average 90 feet (27 m) away from the street.At its closest point, West Street will be 65 feet (20 m) away. The windows on the side of the building facing in this direction will be equipped with specially tempered blast-resistant plastic, which will look nearly the same as the glass used in the other sides of the building.

"Ultra-clear" glass, as opposed to reflective or tinted glass, is proposed for the fenestration generally. This will benefit internal daylight propagation; however, at this stage it is unclear how the corresponding issue of solar heat gain will be addressed. Although the roof area of any tower is comparatively limited, the building will implement a greywater recycling scheme involving rainwater collection. The robust, redundant steel moment frame, consisting of beams and columns connected by a combination of welding and bolting, resists lateral loads through bending of the frame elements. Paired with a concrete-core shear wall, the moment frame lends substantial rigidity and redundancy to the overall building structure while providing column-free interior spans for maximum flexibility^.

If the spire and antenna height (the criteria of two categories of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) are included, Freedom Tower will stand at 1,776 feet (541 m) (marking the year of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence). Freedom Tower was originally planned to be the tallest building in the world, but will no longer obtain this title, as the Burj Dubai has already broken the record for the tallest building at 1,822 feet (555 m), and it is expected to exceed 2,680 ft (818 m) by the time of its completion in 2009.

The Chicago Spire, currently under construction in Chicago, is set to be completed in 2010. It could also be taller than the Freedom Tower. At 150 floors, its roof will top out at 2,000 feet (610 m). The height of Freedom Tower will probably not be increased before completion, due to the symbolism of having an exact height of 1,776 feet (541 m).

Even though several buildings throughout the world will be taller than the Freedom Tower, the tower will still most likely obtain the record for tallest office building in the world; no taller all-office buildings are currently proposed, approved, or under construction.

As revealed on June 28, 2006, Freedom Tower will have a top floor denoted as 102, though the total number of floors is 82 (possibly with some uncounted floors). This is because the first office floor of the building atop the tall base will be designated as Floor 20. There are 69 office floors atop the base, ending at Floor 88, above which would be broadcasting space on the 89th and 90th floors. Three stories of mechanical space take up a floor count of 9. Finally, a restaurant will take up Floors 100 and 101, and the observation deck is at Floor 102. Six additional floors of mechanical space exist above to Floor 108.

In January 2008, two more construction cranes are expected to be placed at the construction site of the Freedom Tower. The steel is expected to be visible at street level by mid-2008, and the base is expected to be completed by September 1008. The opening of the supertall skyscraper is scheduled for the first quarter of 2011.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

The Illinois : Amazing Structures

2009-01-04T23:56:00.001-06:00

The Mile High Illinois, Illinois Sky-City, or simply The Illinois was a proposed mile-high (1,609 metres/5,280 feet) skyscraper, envisioned by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956. The design, intended to be built in Chicago, would have included 528 stories, with a gross area of 18.46 million square feet (1.71 million square meters; 171 ha). Had it been built, it would have been the tallest building in the world.

This is arguably the most famous of the semi-serious visionary buildings meant to be an alternative to the increasing urban sprawl occurring in most cities. None of these have, before now, been viewed as financially feasible.

Wright believed that it would have been technically possible to construct such a building even at the time it was proposed. At the time, the tallest skyscraper in the world was New York's Empire State Building, at less than a quarter the height suggested for the Illinois. It probably would have been possible to erect a self-supporting steel structure of the required height, but there are a number of problems which occur when a building is that tall.

The material used for towers at the time, steel, is quite flexible. This causes the tower to sway substantially in the wind, causing discomfort for occupants of the higher floors. Though Wright acknowledged this problem in his original proposal, he claimed the tripod design of this tower (similar to that of the CN Tower) combined with its tensilized steel frame and the integral character of its structural components would counteract any oscillation. It is also possible this could have been solved by placing a counterweight somewhere within the tower such as in the Taipei 101.

Also, the late 1990s and early 2000s has seen substantial increases in the load-bearing strength of concrete, making it a possibility to build entirely in this less flexible material.

The space needed to service the elevators (needed to reach the higher levels) would occupy all of the space available on the lower floors, thus defeating the purpose of the building's height. This was complicated by Wright's slender design. This problem has also been addressed in smaller buildings, such as in the Taipei 101, by using double-deck elevators. In the World Trade Center, the building was divided into three sectors, each with its own sky-lobby, where occupants changed between large express elevators and smaller local elevators. However, even with both of these measures implemented, the problem would still exist. Wright's solution was five-story elevators, running on ratchet interfaces located on the outside of the building (presumably on the unseen side in his painting) to conserve building space.

Another concern is fire safety. The need for emergency stairwells would bind much of the available space in the lower floors in a similar fashion. This could be overcome by designing elevators to remain operational during a fire.

Albeit at a smaller scale, the same problem as with the elevators is encountered with water and sewage. A possible solution would be to recycle the water used in the upper floors, although this is easier today than it was in the 1950s.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

YouTube - Robotics

2009-01-03T23:17:00.001-06:00

Humanoid Robots at War

Tatlin's Tower : Amazing Structures

2009-01-02T23:53:00.001-06:00

Tatlin’s Tower was a grand monumental building envisioned and blueprinted by the Russian artist and architect Vladimir Tatlin, but never built. It was supposed to be erected in Petrograd after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, as the headquarters and monument of the Comintern (the third international). Its proper name was to be The Monument to the Third International.

Tatlin's Constructivist tower was to be built from industrial materials: iron, glass and steel. In materials, shape, and function, it was envisioned as a towering symbol of modernity. It would have dwarfed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The tower's main form was a twin helix which spiraled up to 400 m in height, which visitors would be transported around with the aid of various mechanical devices.

The main framework would contain four large suspended geometric structures. These structures would rotate at different rates of speed. At the base of the structure was a cube which was designed as a venue for lectures, conferences and legislative meetings, and this would complete a rotation in the span of one year. Above the cube would be a smaller pyramid housing executive activities and completing a rotation once a month. Further up would be a cylinder, which was to house an information (propaganda) centre, issuing news bulletins and manifestos via telegraph, radio and loudspeaker, and would complete a rotation once a day. At the top, there would be a hemisphere for radio equipment. There were also plans to install a gigantic open-air screen on the cylinder, and a further projector which would be able to cast messages across the clouds on any overcast day.

The Monument is generally considered to be the defining expression of architectural constructivism, rather than a buildable project. Even if the gigantic amount of required steel had been available in revolutionary Russia, in the context of housing shortages and political turmoil, there are serious doubts about its structural practicality.

There has been an attempt to build the project, however by building it in parts each of which would be located in a different part of the world, rather than it being one single monument.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Sky City 1000 : Amazing Structures

2008-12-31T23:51:00.001-06:00

Sky City 1000 is a concept for an artificial city rising 1000 meters above the ground and covering an area of 800 hectares (2000 acres). Incorporating functions for a medium-sized city (housing, retailing, education, recreation), this 21st century vertical community would be a synergistic fusion of transportation, communications and energy aimed at helping put an end to major congestion and lack of green space in the Tokyo, Japan ward area.

The plan consists of a building 1,000 meters (3,280.8 feet) tall and 400 meters (1,312 feet) wide at the base, and a total floor area of 8 km² (3.1 mi² or 1976.8 acres). The design, proposed in 1989 by Takenaka Corporation, provides for 35,000 full-time residents and 100,000 workers. It comprises 14 concave dish-shaped "Space Plateaus" stacked one upon the other. The building would include residences, offices, commercial facilities, schools, theaters and other modern amenities.

Since its announcement it has garnered much attention among the world's architectural establishment. Many hope that within a decade or so it will be fully realized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Japan's largest corporations. Apparently, the project is taken very seriously and Tokyo's only fire helicopter has been used in simulation tests to see what the danger would be if a fire were to break out in one of the buildings. Also, triple decker high speed elevators which would be used in the building and would contain up to 70 people are being designed in experimental labs outside Tokyo.

Although this project has gained more serious attention than many of its alternatives, it can be considered similar to projects such as X-Seed 4000 and Sir Norman Foster's Millennium Tower and, in ultra-high density, mixed use concept, to theories like Paolo Soleri's Arcology and Le Corbusier's Radiant City.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid : Amazing Structures

2008-12-29T23:45:00.002-06:00

The Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid is a project proposed by the Shimizu Corporation of a massive pyramid over Tokyo Bay in Japan. The structure would be 12 times higher than the Great Pyramid at Giza, and would house 750,000 people. If built, it will be the largest man-made structure on Earth. The structure would be 2,004 m (6,575 ft) high and would answer Tokyo's increasing lack of space.

Founded in 1804, Shimizu Corporation is a leading architectural, engineering and general contracting firm and is one of the 5 largest contracting firms in Japan with annual sales of $14 billion USD. The structure proposed by Shimizu is so large that it cannot be built with currently available materials, due to their weight. The design relies on the future availability of super-strong lightweight materials based on carbon nanotubes.

The pyramid's foundation would be formed by 36 piers made of special concrete. The perimeter of the foundation above ground would be 2,000 m (6,562 ft). The area of the foundation is 8 km². Infrastructure would consist of an area of approximately 25 km². The complete gross building area wold be about 88 km².

Because the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire cuts right through Japan, the external structure of the pyramid would be an open network of mega trusses, with supporting struts made from carbon nanotubes to allow the pyramid to stand against (or let through) high winds, and survive earthquakes and tsunamis.

The trusses would be coated with photo voltaic film to convert sunlight into electricity and help power the city.

Large robots would assemble the truss structure, and air bladders would be used to elevate trusses above the first layer using a construction system proposed by Italian architect Dante Bini. This pneumatic process is partially based on the Binistar general technology. Spheroid nodes at the connections between trusses would provide structural support and serve as transfer points for travelers.

Transportation within the city would be provided by accelerating walkways, inclined elevators, and a personal rapid transit system where individual driver-less pods would travel within the trusses.

Housing and office space would be provided by 30-story high skyscrapers suspended from above and below, and attached to the pyramid's supporting structure with nanotube cables.

In terms of layers:

Layers 1 to 4: residential, offices, etc.
Layers 5 to 8: research, leisure, etc.

The height of each layer is 250.5 m (for 8 layers, the pyramid would be 2,004 m tall).

The pyramid structure would be composed of 55 smaller pyramids stacked five high. Each of these smaller pyramids would be about the size of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas.

The building would be zoned into residential, commercial and leisure areas. 50 km² will be given over to some 240,000 housing units, enough for 750,000 people. Each building would have its own energy resources (sun and wind). 24 km² will be assigned to offices and commercial facilities intended to employ 800,000 people. The remaining 14 km² would be used for research and leisure purposes.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Legoland

2008-12-28T23:03:00.001-06:00

A recent article reported that a new Legoland theme park is slated to open in Iskandar, Malaysia by 2013. Another is rumored to be built in Dubai as early as 2011.

This news comes as a bit of a surprise. Legoland Deutschland (in Germany), which opened in 2002, was the most recent Legoland park built. Since that time, all 4 Legoland parks world-wide have struggled financially.

The other 3 existing parks are in Windsor (England), Carlsbad (California), and Billund (Denmark).

Russia Tower : Amazing Structures

2008-12-27T23:43:00.001-06:00

The Russia Tower(Башня Россия) is a supertall skyscraper currently under construction in the Moscow International Business Center of Moscow, Russia. The architect is Foster & Partners . Construction began in September 18, 2007, and is planned to be completed in 2012. Upon reaching its final height of 612.2 m (2,009 ft), it will be the tallest building in Europe and the second tallest in the world, after the Burj Dubai which is scheduled to open in 2009 at an estimated height of 818 m (2,684 ft).

Originally, The Russia Tower was proposed for plots 2 and 3 of the Moscow International Business Center in 1994 as the world's tallest building; a 648 m (2,126 ft), 125-story tower. It was designed by Chicago-based architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. It was soon moved to plot 14. In the middle of 2003 an updated 648 m (2,126 ft), 134-story, design had been moved to plots 17 and 18. In January 2004, the Moscow Development Company (STT Group) was appointed as the main investor and developer of the $2-billion project.

The total area of the structure will cover 520,000 m² (5,597,233.4 ft²), of which 38% (200,000 m² (2,152,782.1 ft²)) will be located underground. The top floor will be 500 m (1,640 ft) above the ground. The tower will contain 118 floors, 101 elevators, and underground parking to accommodate 3,680 automobiles. Commercial retail shops will be located at the base of the building. The maximum capacity of the building is projected to be around 30,000.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Kostabi World Trade Center : Amazing Structures

2008-12-25T23:41:00.001-06:00

The Kostabi World Trade Center is an envisioned building in New York City, United States. If built, it will have 160 floors and will be 2,000 feet (609 m) high. It was one of the many ideas that was presented for the World Trade Center site after the 9/11 terrorist attacks destroyed the original World Trade Center Twin Towers.

Mark Kostabi has proposed a monumental building devoted entirely to art, a mixed-use structure comprising art studios, galleries, museums, apartments, printing workshops, sculpture foundries, schools, offices for creative firms, hotels, libraries, bookstores, theaters, and restaurants: a self-sufficient vertical art city.

The structure has been designed by world-renowned architect Eli Attia and will emerge from a park designed by San Diego-based environmental artists Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison.

Eli Attia(of Eli Attia Architects), who had successful involvement in the construction of the Millenium Hilton Hotel (1992) and the 101 Park Avenue (1982), both in New York, has developed plans for a majestic spire tapering from a 4.64 acre footprint and rising towards an unprecedented 2,000 foot height. The building will be a highly versatile structural cage equivalent to 160 stories. The tower will taper upward from the ground at an accelerating rate providing a wide range of floor sizes: from 202,000 square feet at the base to 10,000 square feet at the top. The total floor area will be over two million square feet.

Current plans call for the building to rise from a 30 acre site in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Mindful of the ecological significance of constructing the world's tallest building, artists Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison were hired to create the park from which the skyscraper will rise. The Harrisons, known internationally for environmental reconstruction, have a particular interest in the relationship of the site to the East River. On it they intend to establish an ecosystem, "part wetland and brook, part forest and meadow that reflects the ecosystem once present and the probable ecosystem that will emerge as global warming takes place".

This building will be finished in the Twentieth Century and will reassert the glory of its predecessors - but it will open and lead into the Twenty-First Century with its inspiring design and state-of-the-art structural engineering. Thus it will reflect something of both centuries for a single purpose - the support and recognition of art as a significant part of our human existence.

After the Freedom Tower project was chosen to replace the WTC Twin Towers, the plans for the Kostabi WTC were dropped. However, there still remains the possibility that the Kostabi WTC might be built in another location in the future.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

X-Seed 4000 : Amazing Structures

2008-12-23T23:58:00.001-06:00

The X-Seed 4000 is the tallest building ever fully envisioned, meaning that the designs for construction have been completed.

The X-Seed 4000 "was never meant to be built," says Georges Binder, managing director of Buildings & Data, a firm which compiles data banks on buildings worldwide. "The purpose of the plan was to earn some recognition for the firm, and it worked."

Its proposed 4 kilometer (13,123 foot) height, 6 kilometer wide sea-base, and 800 floor capacity could accommodate five hundred thousand to one million inhabitants.

It was designed for Tokyo, Japan by the Taisei Corporation in 1995 as a futuristic environment combining ultra-modern living and interaction with nature.

Unlike conventional skyscrapers, the X-Seed 4000 would be required to actively protect its occupants from considerable air pressure gradations and weather fluctuations along its massive elevation. Designed as an “intelligent building,” the futuristically-named X-Seed 4000 would maintain light, temperature, and air pressure in response to changing external weather conditions. Its design calls for the use of solar power to maintain internal environmental conditions.

A sea-based location and a Mount Fuji shape are some of this building's other major design features — the real Mount Fuji is land-based and is 3.8 kilometers in height, nearly 213 m (700 feet) shorter than X-Seed 4000.

Some estimate that the cost to construct the X-Seed 4000 structure may be somewhere between US$300-900 billion, in currentdollars.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Dubai Towers - Doha : Amazing Structures

2008-12-21T23:31:00.001-06:00

Dubai Towers - Doha is a supertall skyscraper with a roof height of 400 meters (Spire height 445 meters) under construction in Doha, Qatar. It began construction June 18, 2007.

The 94-story tower is being developed for mixed use by the Sama Dubai company, formerly known as Dubai International Properties, part of the Dubai Holding group. The Contractor is a Joint Venture between Al-Habtoor and Al Jaber, the Architects and Engineering Consultants are Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall (RMJM), and the Cost Consultants are Hanscomb Consultants Inc. Construction began in 2005 and when completed in 2009, the tower will be Doha's tallest building and will be taller than several other proposed skyscrapers in the city.

Construction work in 2007 included advanced enabling works and tower piling. Podium piles have already been installed, while the main structure building works were scheduled to commence in the first half of 2007.

The orientation and geometry of the tower will offer magnificent views of the sea. The bold sloping roofs and angular glass facades will glow and sparkle as they capture the changing sunlight at different times of the day, and transform into illuminations of quiet elegance with shimmering reflections in the water as dusk descends.

The tower will include a 70,000 m² retail area, as well as 60 floors of serviced and unserviced apartments, 20 floors of office space, and a 235-room 5 star hotel. The tower is located in the West Bay district of Doha, next to the Doha Corniche. Estimated construction costs of Dubai Towers Doha is 2.3 billion Qatari riyal (631.9 million USD).

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Recycle Bein'

2008-12-20T16:49:00.000-06:00

From the creative mind of French production house "One Plus One", comes Recycle Bein'.

Crystal Island : Amazing Structures

2008-12-19T23:30:00.001-06:00

In early 2008, Moscow's Public and Architectural Council granted preliminary planning permission for Crystal Island, a proposed development on the metropolis's Nagatino Peninsula. Once constructed, Crystal Island in Moscow will be 450m high, cover an area of almost half a million square meters and contain a total floor area of 2.5 million square meters. The $4 billion project is scheduled to be built within the next 5 years. The designer of both Russia Tower and Crystal Island is U.K. architectural firm Foster & Partners, which designed the new Wembley Stadium in London and a terminal for Beijing's airport.

At 450 m the scheme is one of the tallest structures enclosing the largest volume, on the planet. It also creates a spectacular new emblem on the Moscow skyline. Conceived as a self-contained city within a city, it contains a rich mix of buildings including museums, theaters, and cinemas, to ensure it becomes a major new destination for the whole of Moscow.

Floor area alone will be four times the size of Pentagon in Washington DC., and seven time larger than the completed Burj Dubai. One of the world’s most ambitious building projects, Crystal Island has been granted preliminary planning permission in Moscow. Enclosed within a vast mega structure covering a total floor area of 2.5 million square meters (27 million square feet) – the project’s scale is unprecedented.

Located on the Nagatino Peninsula, edged by the Moscow River, it is located only 7.5 km from the Kremlin, and offers panoramic views over Moscow from a viewing platform at its apex.

Crystal Island will have a range of cultural, exhibition and performance facilities, approximately 3000 hotel rooms and 900 serviced apartments, as well as offices and shops, designed to maintain a dynamic and animated public realm throughout the day. Residents are able to work and live within a densely planned area where every amenity is within easy walking distance, including an international school for 500 students. Mixed-use also presents a strong case for energy balance, with individual components using energy at different times, while reinforcing the breadth of economic and social activity of the area.

The building’s spiraling form emerges majestically from a newly landscaped park, rising in converse directions to form a diagonal grid. This distinctive geometry extends throughout the project into the park. Parkland around the building will offer ice-skating and cross-country skiing in winter. The intention is also to create two public viewing platforms. Unusually, more than half of the space will be below ground, including 14,000 parking spaces.

The internal built volumes of over one million square metres (more than 10 million square feet) assume a staggered formation within the triangulated steel mega frame, extending flush against the sloping facetted glazed outer skin. This terracing creates a series of winter gardens, which form a breathable second layer and thermal buffer for the main building, shielding the interior spaces from Moscow’s extreme summer and winter climates. A vertical louvre system sheaths the internal facades to ensure privacy for the individual apartments.

Enclosure panels on a dynamic geometry are slotted into the structural framing to allow daylight to penetrate deep into the heart of the scheme and can be controlled to modify the internal environment – closed in winter for extra warmth and opened in summer to allow natural ventilation. Energy management is at the heart of the design, with additional strategies to include on-site renewable and low-carbon energy generation.

Project Area:

Total Gross External Area: (Above Ground): 1,100,000m²
Site Area: 440,000m²

Facts:

Public 360 degree Top Observation Deck (at 300m level): 3000 m² gross external area
Public 360deg Main Observation Deck(150m ): 6000 m²
Serviced apartments – approx. 900 units(80m to 140m): 265,000 m²
Hotel – approx. 3000 keys(12m to 80m ): 245,000 m²
Offices (40m to 80m): 75,000 m²
Retail, Catering, Entertainment (0m to 40m ): 160,000 m²
Museum and IMAX (0m to 40m ); 100,000 m²
Theatres – 1500, 750, 750 seats (0m to 40m): 95,000 m²
School – 500 students (0m to 40m): 4000 m²
Covered Public Space: 150,000 m²
Sub-Total Above Ground: 1,100,000 m²

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Chicago Spire : Amazing Structures

2008-12-17T23:28:00.001-06:00

The Chicago Spire is a supertall skyscraper under construction in Chicago, Illinois. The Spire will surpass Chicago's own Sears Tower, currently at 442 m (1,450 feet) tall, and New York's upcoming Freedom Tower, planned to be 541 m (1,776 feet) tall, to become North America's tallest tower.The current design also will surpass the height of the CN Tower in Toronto to become North America's tallest free-standing structure. The Chicago Spire would also surpass the Q1 in Queensland, the Eureka Tower in Melbourne, and the Princess Tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to become the world's tallest all-residential building. Other world records, though, will by that year likely rest with the Burj Dubai, currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.The building was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and is being developed by Garrett Kelleher of Shelbourne Development Group, Inc. The Chicago Spire is scheduled to be completed in 2011 with 150 floors.

Crane parts and construction equipment arrived at the site on June 25, 2007. In preparation for construction, 34 concrete and steel caissons will be drilled 120 feet (37 m) into bedrock underlying the Earth's surface.A cofferdam with a 104 foot (31 m) diameter and 78 foot (24 m) depth will be installed to create a work environment and will later act as a foundation for the building's core. The underground portion of the construction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2008.

Originally proposed as "Fordham Spire" in July of 2005, the design called for 115 stories. The building was planned to include a hotel and condominiums and also featured a tall broadcast antenna mast. However the original Chicago developer Christopher T. Carley of the Fordham Company ran into financial problems. As a result, the project was taken over by the Irish developer Garrett Kelleher who changed the design to make the building solely residential and removed the above-ground parking lot, incorporating underground parking into the spire itself.

The skyscraper is being constructed along Chicago's lake front west of Navy Pier, located northeast of Chicago's Loop, in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The construction site is at the junction of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. The site is bordered by the Ogden Slip of the Chicago River to the north, North Lake Shore Drive to the east, the Chicago River to the south, and existing residential property to the west. The site was originally zoned for two 35- to 50-story buildings.

Chicago's buildings are known for innovative designs. The Chicago Spire aims to complement this pattern, and standing at 2,000 feet (610 m), will further transform the already changing Chicago skyline. Plans for the tower include 1,193 condominiums with each of the building's 150 stories rotating exactly 2.44 degrees from the one below for a total 360 degree rotation. For supplemental structural support, each floor would be surrounded by cantilevered corners and four concave sides.

Similar to the Sears Tower and John Hancock Center skydecks, the Chicago Spire will house a community room at the top floor offering residents a view of four states. The soaring four story lobby of the skyscraper will have translucent glass walls and be framed by arching, steel reinforced concrete vaults.The building has been labeled as a giant "drill bit" by the public and others in the media have likened it to a "tall twisting tree" and a "blade of grass".

The curved design, may provide two major benefits to the structure of the building. First, curved designs have a tendency of adding to the strength of a structure. A similar principle has been applied in the past when building curved stadium roofs.

In addition to structural support, the curved face of the exterior will minimize wind forces. In rectangular buildings, a fluid wind flow puts pressure on the windward face of the building, while as air moves around it, a suction is applied to the leeward face. This often causes a sway in tall buildings which can be counteracted, at least partially, by stiffening the structure or by using a dynamic wind damper. Although the curved design of the Chicago Spire will not completely negate wind forces, a tapering concrete core and twelve shear walls emanating from it are installed to counteract these forces instead.

Additionally, the Chicago Spire will incorporate world-class sustainable engineering practices to meet the Gold standard of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Sustainable features include recycled rainwater, river water used for cooling, ornithologically-sensitive glass to protect migratory birds, intelligent building and management systems, waste storage and recycling management, and a monitored outdoor air delivery.

But no matter what concerns there might be regarding its affect on the environment, virtually all agree that the Chicago Spire will certainly make a noticeable impression on the Windy City's skyline.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Antikythera: 2000-Year-Old Computer

2008-12-17T14:28:00.000-06:00

Antikythera... what? A video has recently emerged on YouTube that shows the reconstruction of a 2000-year-old computer. It was rebuilt by Michael Wright, a museum curator in London.

The fascinating astronomical device is called the "Antikythera Mechanism". For more information see National Geographic's article.

Official Google Blog: Gingerbread architecture for all

2008-12-16T11:29:00.000-06:00

Official Google Blog: Gingerbread architecture for all

Google Sketchup is marketing to the public again, but this time with a twist. Rather than using Sketchup to build a traditional home, the objective is to build a Gingerbread house.

Read the full article from the Google Sketchup blog.

Google Sketchup is a fully-functional, 3D modeling tool. The latest version can be downloaded here.

Center of India Tower : Amazing Structures

2008-12-15T23:24:00.003-06:00

Center of India Tower, also known as World Centre for Vedic Learning, was an envisioned supertall skyscraper that would have been built 50 kilometers Northeast of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, in Brahmasthan, or the exact center point of India. If it had been built, the tower would have been the the tallest building in India, more than 700 ft taller than the Petronas Towers, and the second tallest in the world behind Burj Dubai.

Besides being among the tallest structures, the building would have been the largest structure in the world by mass; its estimated width was 339 m(1,111 ft ). The building's construction would have been financed by Hindu spiritual leader, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

In his televised press conference of November 16, 2005, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi said he believes it is vital for everyone in the world to live and work in buildings constructed according to Sthapatya Veda or Vastu architecture.

A house built according to Maharishi Sthapatya Veda takes into account three major factors: the orientation of the house, room placement, and the proper proportion of the rooms. These primary principles of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda are established in large part based on the position of the sun, considered to be the most powerful natural influence on our planet. Aligned with the rising sun, an east-facing house would be considered most auspicious for the building’s inhabitants. North is also acceptable. South and West are considered to be least auspicious.

The building's design was greatly influenced by Hindu temple architecture. If it had been built, the World Centre for Vedic Learning would have been completed in 2007.

Some structural facts include:

Structural height 677.3 m (2,222 ft) (est.)
Height to tip 677.3 m (2,222 ft) (est.)
Height to roof 677.3 m (2,222 ft) (est.)
Gross floor area 30 million sq. feet (2.8 million sq. m)
Number of individual floors

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Aeropolis 2001 : Amazing Structures

2008-12-13T22:25:00.000-06:00

The Aeropolis 2001 is a proposed project for construction of a massive 500-story high-rise building over Tokyo Bay in Japan.

If built, the mammoth structure would be approximately five times as high as the World Trade Center was in New York.

Envisioned by Obayashi Gumi Corporation, Aeropolis 2001 is proposed to be a two-kilometer high building with 500 floors that would accommodate over 300,000 inhabitants. It's structural height would be 2,001 m (6,565 ft).

The structure is expected to be mixed-use, including restaurants, offices, flats, cinemas, schools, hospitals, and post offices. Elevators are expected to travel from top to bottom in 15 minutes. The proposed tower would be fully sustainable and air conditioned.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Burj Dubai : Amazing Structures

2008-12-11T23:22:00.000-06:00

The Burj Dubai (Arabic: برج دبي "Dubai Tower") is a supertall skyscraper currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. When Burj Dubai is completed in late 2008, it is predicted to be the tallest man-made structure in the world. Scheduled for occupancy in September 2009, the building is part of a 2 km² (0.8 sq mi) development called 'Downtown Dubai' and is located at the "First Interchange" along Sheikh Zayed Road at Doha Street.

Construction began on September 21, 2004. The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about $4.1 billion US and for the entire new 'Downtown Dubai', $20 billion US.

As of 27 December 2007, Burj Dubai has reached a height of 598.5 m (1,964 ft), with 158 completed floors.

On September 12, 2007 Burj Dubai became the world's tallest freestanding structure at 555.3 m (1,822 ft), surpassing the CN Tower in Toronto.

Currently it holds the unofficial records for:

Tallest freestanding structure: 598.5 meters (1,964 ft) (previously CN Tower - 553.3 m (1,815 ft))
Building with most floors: 158 (previously Sears Tower / World Trade Center - 110)
Vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 601.0 m (1,972 ft) (previously Taipei 101 - 449.2 m (1,474 ft))
Vertical concrete pumping (for any construction): 601.0 m (1,972 ft) (previously Riva del Garda Hydroelectric Power Plant - 532 m (1,745 ft)

Burj Dubai's last two milestones will be to surpass the 628.8 m (2,063 ft) height of the KVLY-TV Mast in North Dakota, United States to become the world's tallest structure and to pass the Warsaw radio mast in Gąbin, Poland (646.4 m (2,121 ft) until it collapsed in 1991) to become the world's tallest structure of any type ever built.

The projected final height of Burj Dubai is officially being kept a secret due to competition from other buildings under construction or proposed; however, figures released by a contractor on the project have suggested a height of around 818 m (2,684 ft). Based on this height, the total number of habitable floors is expected to be around 160. However, when pressed for a more precise figure, the project manager merely repeated that he was able only to guarantee that the final height would be higher than 700 m (2,297 ft).

Burj Dubai has been designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels such as the Burj Dubai Lake Hotel & Serviced Apartments, 0.03 km² (0.01 sq mi) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 0.12 km² (0.05 sq mi) man-made Burj Dubai Lake. Burj Dubai will cost US$ 800 million to build and the entire 2 km² (0.77 sq mi) development will cost around US$ 20 billion.

The silvery glass-sheathed concrete building will give the title of Earth's tallest free-standing structure to the Middle East — a title not held by the region since 1311 AD when Lincoln Cathedral in England surpassed the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which had held the title for almost four millennia.

The tower is being constructed by a South Korean company, Samsung Engineering & Construction which also built the Petronas Twin Towers and the Taipei 101. The tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who also designed the Sears Tower in Chicago and the Freedom Tower in New York City, among numerous other famous high-rises. The building resembles the bundled tube form of the Sears Tower, but is not a tube structure. The design of Burj Dubai is reminiscent of the Frank Lloyd Wright vision for The Illinois, a mile high skyscraper designed for Chicago, Illinois. Burj Dubai is expected to rise to 150% of the height of the Sears Tower. Emaar has also engaged GHD, an international multidisciplinary consulting firm, to assist with the design, review and assessment involved in the construction process.

Engineers rotated the building 120 degrees from its original layout to reduce stress from prevailing winds. Over 45,000 m³ (58,900 cu yd) of concrete, weighing more than 110,000 tonnes (121,000 ST/108,000 LT) were used to construct the concrete and steel foundation, which features 192 piles buried more than 50 m (164 ft) deep.

The design of Burj Dubai is ostensibly derived from the patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture, with the triple-lobed footprint of the building based on an abstracted version of the desert flower hymenocallis native to the region. The tower is composed of three elements arranged around a central core. As the tower rises from the flat desert base, setbacks occur at each element in an upward spiralling pattern, decreasing the cross section of the tower as it reaches toward the sky. At the top, the central core emerges and is sculpted to form a finishing spire. A Y-shaped floor plan maximizes views of the Persian Gulf. Viewed from above or from the base, the form also evokes the onion domes of Islamic architecture.

An Armani Hotel (the first of its kind) will occupy the lower 37 floors. Floors 45 through 108 will have 700 private apartments on 64 floors (which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of going on sale). Corporate offices and suites will fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 123rd floor lobby and 124th floor (about 440 metres (1,444 ft)) indoor/outdoor observation deck. The spire will also hold communications equipment. An outdoor zero-entry swimming pool will be located on the 78th floor of the tower.

It will also feature the world's fastest elevator, rising and descending at 18 m/s (40 mph). The world's current fastest elevator (in the Taipei 101) travels at 16.83 m/s (37.6 mph). Engineers had considered installing the world's first triple-decker elevators, but the final design calls for double-deck elevators. A total of 56 elevators will be installed that can carry 42 people at a time. It is scheduled for occupancy by September 2009.

(Information comes courtesy of the Wikipedia amongst other sources.)

Amazing Structures : An Introduction

2008-12-10T08:14:00.003-06:00

Louis H. Sullivan, a designer of some of the most prominent and enduring structures in America, once stated "(It) must be tall, every inch of it tall. The force and power of altitude must be in it, the glory and pride of exaltation must be in it. It must be every inch a proud and soaring thing, rising in sheer exaltation that from bottom to top it is a unit without a single dissenting line."

Ever looked up at a building in downtown and said to yourself, "Wow, that's tall"?

Have you ever imagined how people just 200 hundred years ago were astonished when they saw a building that was just 5 stories tall?

But has it ever crossed your mind that in 1931, all 102 floors of the Empire State Building were completed in 1 year and 45 days, or 7 million man hours? Yet 77 years later, with the advent of the computer age, and advances in building materials, and Computer Aided Design(CAD), the Empire State Building still holds the world record for being built that high in that short a time frame. Even more astonishing, is that today, almost 80 years later, the Empire State Building is still one of the 10 tallest completed buildings in the world.

What happened? Where were all the architects and engineers in the last 80 years? Building houses? Garages? Furniture?

No, for the past 3 generations they were placing their creative minds into designing cars, aircraft, military weapons, and sending people to the moon.

But now they're back, and they're in force. With projects such as the 'Freedom Tower' in New York City and the "Al Burj' and "Burj Dubai' in the United Arab Emirates it seems as though the world's engineers just might be ushering in a second Golden Age of construction. From Asia, to the Middle East, to Europe, to the heartland of America, our generation is watching an explosion in the creation of super-tall skyscrapers.

So what's next on the list of, 'Things to build'?

Stick around, and over the next few days Creagination will be taking a look at some of the world's most prominent construction projects. We'll also take a glimpse into the visions and dreams of men, companies, and entire nations. It'll be something that you definitely don't want to miss.

Google... Magazines?

2008-12-09T13:29:00.002-06:00

Google Mail, Google Video, Google Images, and now... Google Magazines. In a stunningly creative move for the power of the written word, Google officially announced today that Google Books will now include magazine searches.

Obviously, obscure magazines won't be included from the start, but the goal is to include all periodicals from all time. One example of this is "Popular Science". All issues of "Popular Science" are available in some format starting from May 1872 to February 2008 (March - December of this year are presumed to become available in the near future).

One can only imagine the power of archival search this will provide for students, artist, historian, and even the general public.

The Sultan's Elephant

2008-12-08T14:11:00.004-06:00

From May 4-7, 2006 Artichoke Productions showcased more of it's brilliant creativity in the showstopping display of street theater, "The Sultan's Elephant". The show blessed London with an artful arrangement of imagination, excitement, and wonder.

Bloomberg News had the following to say about the production before it arrived in England in 2006:

An elephant more than twice as tall as a double-decker bus will parade through Piccadilly Circus and London's streets and squares during a four-day visit next month.

The 40-foot (12-meter) pachyderm isn't an escapee from the London Zoo. It's a wood-and-metal puppet that's part of ``The Sultan's Elephant,'' a jumbo piece of free street theater.

The 42-metric-ton model will appear in historical venues such as Horse Guards Parade and Trafalgar Square. As the story progresses, traffic will be stopped and roads closed as the beast trumpets its presence and plods through the streets.

Read the complete article.

"The Sultan's Elephant" was made in conjunction with the Royal De Luxe theater company.

La Machine in Liverpool

2008-12-06T21:00:00.003-06:00

This last September, La Machine hit the streets of Liverpool. Enlivening discussion, stimulating the creative juices of the public, and generally building community awareness of the arts, La Machine acted as a brilliant tool for the active imagination.

Extracted from the La Machine website.

La Machine has come and gone…

Thousands of delighted onlookers lined the streets of Liverpool, waiting to greet the fifty-foot high spider dubbed ‘La Princesse’ by her creators, French theatrical engineers La Machine. Vast in scale and spectacular in execution, this breathtaking new commission was undoubtedly a highlight of the City’s European Capital of Culture celebrations in September 2008.

From the moment when astonished commuters discovered the giant arachnid clinging to a building next to the railway station, to the spectacular finale five days later, the creature stopped the city in its tracks and captured the hearts of Liverpudlians and visitors alike. Will she ever return?

La Macine comes from the creative brain of Artichoke Productions

Robot Jazz

2008-11-24T22:09:00.001-06:00

This is the stuff of inspiration. From gizmodo.com

Georgia Tech actually has a Robotic Musicianship Group in its Center for Music Technology, which means that some lucky so-and-so's are getting government funding to form hippie drum circles with an array of artificial companions. In the video above, two robots demonstrate their ability to listen to grooves laid down by living breathing meatbags, and jump in on their own instruments when the mood strikes.

Read the whole article here.

Maker Faire Austin Slideshow

2008-11-07T02:09:00.006-06:00

Below is an improved slide-show of photos from Maker Faire Austin 2008.

Maker Faire Photographs

2008-10-30T03:09:00.003-05:00

The following is a brief slide-show of my experience at the 2008 Austin Maker Faire.

Maker Faire Spotlight

2008-10-12T01:50:00.004-05:00

This coming Saturday and Sunday, Maker Faire will be hosting over 300 "Makers". Here's just some of the commercial exhibitors from the Maker Faire website (not that I expect you to read every single one of these, but just skim the list, you'll some pretty notable and interesting names):

Groups and associations include:

Finally, for those of you with insanely fast internet connections you can watch the following promo clip entitled, "Maker Faire Austin in the 21st Century (The movie!)".

For up-to-date info visit the Maker Faire blog. This is the kind of stuff nerds get pumped up about. This is the kind of thing that when ordinary people attend, they discover that they're secretly nerds. Unless you have some really good excuse not to be there, then you should go. This is the now.

Engineers Versus Movie Stars

2008-10-10T05:33:00.000-05:00

The world of science and technology is an exciting one. It is filled with wonder, excitement and discovery. Because there aren't any boundaries, there are no limits. The very field itself would not exist if it were not for the fact that there are still unknowns in our world today. To be honest, that's partly why it's so appealing to so many, yet a bit intimidating to others.

It's that challenge of the unknown that makes some pause, and in the end turn back and look for an alternative that while more predictable, at least is more stable. But for others, the allure of facing the great "unconquered" is what their child-hood dreams are made of.

So we some to the realization that while scientists and engineers are stereotypically classified as "nerds", "geeks", "weirdos", "introverts", etc., they are really the ones who will change the world. For example, ask an ordinary American on any street who Douglas Fairbanks was and odds are that they won't have the slightest clue. But ask them who Thomas Edison was and an overwhelming majority of them will know.

Douglas Fairbanks at his time was one of the greatest movie stars in the 1920s. But now he's sunk into relative obscurity. Why? Because he didn't conquer any great unknown, unless you count acting in front of a camera. But he knew what cameras were and what they did. There was nothing "unknown" about that.

Thomas Edison on the other hand, conquered many unknowns. He made the light bulb, the phonograph, and the first movie camera and movie stage. In fact, everything that he did is what made it even possible for Douglas Fairbanks to have a career.

In their time Fairbanks very well might have had more fame and notoriety than Edison, or he might not have. What we do know is that he was very, very popular on-screen. But today, 80 years later, who do we remember? The movie star, or the engineer? The one who who pursued a glamorous life-style, or the one who sacrificed status and wealth and went out on a limb?

The next time we see or hear the public make a fuss about Johny Depp, Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Britney Spears, or some other pop culture figure, just ask yourself, "In 80 years from now will humans remember any of those 4, or will they remember Frederick Sanger, Dean Kamen, Stephen Hawking, and Tim Berners-Lee?"

You may not know who those men are now, but you definitely either will benefit, or already are benefiting from their contributions to society. Frederick Sanger discovered DNA sequencing, Dean Kamen created the Segway and is the founder of FIRST Robotics, Stephen Hawking is arguably the smartest man currently on the face of the planet and has done extensive work in theoretical physics, and Tim Berners-Lee created the internet,. They have impacted our generation, and countless generations to come for the better.

These are men who have taken risks, adventured out into the unknown, and conquered what they did not see.

Nasty Nazgul

2008-10-03T01:49:00.000-05:00

I recently came across this sketch from Ben Caldwell imagining what retro, cyberpunked Nazgul from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings would look like.

If you look closely you can see the rich details on the the bottom "steed". The decals eerily resemble an eye falling from the sky. The top craft though, seems more fitting for "General Grievous" from Star Wars.

Maker Faire Austin

2008-09-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

Maker Faire is coming to Austin for the second time ever! For those of you who have ever been inspired by science, technology, robots, do-it-yourself projects, metal arts, crafts, art cars, fire, music, or... or.... basically anything that's cool, then Maker Faire was made just for you.

The Travis County Expo Center will host Maker Faire on October 18 and 19. Maker Faire only occurs twice a year, once in the San Francisco Bay Area and once in Austin. Exhibitors and attendees have literally come from across America, and even the world to attend Maker Faire.

Watch the best parts of Maker Faire 2008.

Maker Faire robots!

Maker Faire vehicles!

For more about this amazing, science and technology fest visit makerfaire.com.

Futuristic Cars

2008-09-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

Edit on Oct 8, 2008: The following list is copied from a forum on The Last Alliance with an estimation from where each car was designed/produced.

End edit.

26 conceptual photos of cars of the future.